Word Meaning
अब्ना
abna
hinoun
Meaning
Sons, offspring, descendants; people of a particular era or place.
Detailed Meaning
In Arabic grammar, 'abna' is the broken plural of 'ibn', meaning sons, children, or descendants. In Persian and Urdu poetic compounds such as 'abna-e-zamaa' (children of the age), it refers collectively to contemporaries or humankind. Here, Ghalib invokes the phrase to lament the betrayal and moral degeneration prevalent among the people of his era.
Etymology
Arabic, plural of 'ibn' (ابن, son/child).
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, it is almost exclusively found in izafat constructs like 'abna-e-zaman' or 'abna-e-dahr' to satirize the deceit of contemporaries.
Examples
abna-e-zamaa se vafa ki ummeed na rakh
ae dost gila kya ho abna-e-vatan se
Synonyms
फ़रज़ंदऔलादसंतानलोग
Related Words
इब्नबनीबनात